The present invention relates to an electronic key system, and, more particularly, to an electronic information key system having an electronic information key for unlocking a locking device for use in an access restriction or a data communication.
Conventionally, a mechanical locking system has been widely used for prohibiting an unauthorized person to have access thereto. This conventional mechanical locking system is implemented principally by matching a key to a locking device having a mechanical structure corresponding to the key. In using the conventional locking system, a number of keys are needed, more than one for each of a car, a house, a personal locker, a computer, a safe, etc. Therefore, a user should carry each of these keys and should be aware which key corresponds to which locking device, which is very inconvenient.
In order to alleviate the above-described inconveniences, an password-type electronic key system has been introduced. This password-type electronic key system, however, has disadvantages that the circuit thereof is complicated and, therefore, this key system is prone to a hitch because a keypad thereon including numerics 0-9 should be mounted on the locking device thereof. Further, the size of the keypad cannot be much reduced in consideration of the size of fingers of a user.
Recently, for the sake of theft prevention or of preventing juveniles from watching a particular channel of a CATV, there has existed a need for a particular key solution, and there has been an increasing demand for an electronic ID card and electronic money. A key solution for these various needs are determined individually and distinctively for each item, and, therefore, a user should carry each key solution. In addition, these key solutions cannot be applied to public purposes, e.g., a coin locker or other public facility.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an electronic information key including a memory element for storing ID codes composed of a plurality of bytes as an unlock signal of a door.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic information key system for controlling unlocking operation of a door by registering ID codes stored in a memory element of the electronic information key, reading out the ID codes stored in the electronic information key and comparing them to check if they are identical.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic information key system for preventing from an unauthorized duplication of the key thereof by changing the ID codes stored in the electronic information key every time the key system is used.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic information key system for preventing a malignant user from accessing the system by lengthening an allowable waiting time for unlocking of the system when the ID codes stored in the electronic information key do not match with the registered ID codes stored in the locking device thereof.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic information key system having a master key function. The master key enables the system to be usable in an emergency state for which a new power supply is applied after an exhaustion of a current power supply and enables any member in a group supervising a large facility to use the system.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an electronic information key system comprising at least one electronic information key and a locking device unlocked with the electronic information key, wherein the electronic information key including: an ID code storage having a plurality of memory areas, each storing different ID codes; a body, resin-treated, for installing the ID code storage; and a contact, mounted on the body and electrically connected to the ID code storage, and wherein the locking device including: a key holder for electrically contacting the contact of the electronic information key; a registered ID code storage for storing values corresponding to the ID codes stored in any one of the plurality of memory areas of the ID code storage of the electronic information key; and a controller for comparing the ID codes stored in an area of the ID code storage with the ID codes stored in the registered ID code storage to thereby verify whether the electronic information key is duly operating, when the contact electrically contacts the key holder.